While many states have severe fiscal problems, the depth and unusual persistence of California's budget problems — the state has run deficits for most of the decade — has emptied Sacramento's till. On its current path, California will run short of the...

Teenage Suspect Takes Own Life After Opening Fire On Sacramento Cop - Fox40

SACRAMENTO - A Sacramento police officer was wounded in the arm from a gunshot by a teenage suspect who later turned the gun on himself. The shooting occurred at around 5:00p.m. Sunday afternoon on the 3700 block of Business Drive in South Sacramento....

Schwarzenegger follows Brown's route - Los Angeles Times

From Sacramento -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger must be reading the playbook of a previous California governor in trying to recover from his thumping in last week's election. That governor was Jerry Brown, the current attorney general and early...

Whatever the explanation, median sales prices of existing homes are stabilizing in the $160000 range so far this year in Sacramento County. Volume was up year over year for the 13th straight month in Sacramento County with 64.6% of all sales being...

That label was used to describe three fatal shootings over the course of three days in the Sacramento area last week. That may not be a record, but it's not a tourist attraction either. Wednesday evening, in West Sacramento, the weapon of choice was a...

Sacramento considers moratorium on medical pot shops - Sacramento Bee

By Ryan Lillis Officials in Sacramento are a bit dazed and confused over all the medicinal marijuana shops that have popped up in the city. While the estimates of how many facilities are now open in the city range from 15 to 28, the number has clearly...

... who signed a one-year contract with Oakland in March. Prior to going on the DL, Garciaparra was batting only .231 with one home run and seven rbis. To make room for Garciaparra, the A's optioned right-hander Chris Schroder to Triple-A Sacramento....

Child Struck, Killed by Family Truck - News10.net

SACRAMENTO, CA - A 18-month-old boy died Sunday after he was accidently struck by a family member's truck outside the family's North Sacramento home, a Sacramento police spokesman said. The child was hit near the home on the 3400 block of Altos Way...

Blue Gaia holds its first annual conference for Indigo children in ... - Examiner.com

They will be holding their first annual conference on May 29-31 in Sacramento California, bringing together children, young adults, parents and professionals for the purpose of co-creating new ways of recognizing and serving the highly intuitive...

California State University, Sacramento

California State University, Sacramento (also known as Sacramento State or Sac State) is a public university located in the city of Sacramento, California. It is part of the California State University system. The university has a total enrollment of approximately 29,000 students.

The 2007 US News and World Report collegiate rankings ranked Sacramento State as the 57th-best Masters-level university in the West.

The efforts to get a four-year university in Sacramento date back to the 1920s, however Bay Area politics prevented the founding until 1947. The University's colors green and gold symbolize the green of the foothills and trees, and gold for discovery.

The university was founded as Sacramento State College in 1947 during a time of intense demand for higher education after World War II. At the time of its founding, Sac State shared space at Sacramento Junior College.

By 1953, the school had moved to its permanent location on the banks of the American River. Jackrabbits were a problem in the early years and landscapers were permitted to shoot them on sight. Sacramento State became part of the California State University system in 1960, and in 1972, the university changed its name to California State University, Sacramento.

The university underwent a major expansion in the Korean War years, with the 'heart' of the campus residing in what was then Douglass Hall, Shasta Hall, and buildings housing the Math, Science, and History departments. These buildings are now scheduled for demolition, which will soon create a campus greenbelt spanning from the library to the dorms.

Sac State came within hours of being deliberately flooded in 1986, as officials contemplated blowing floodgates to avoid a massive levee failure in Sacramento.

After the construction of Placer Hall, many of the remaining buildings were renamed for California counties. The administration building was aptly renamed "Sacramento Hall".

Sacramento State hosted the 2000 and 2004 U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials. Events were held at Hornet Stadium in the Alex Spanos Sports Complex.

Recently built were the Alumni Center, a continuing education building, a facility for University-licensed public radio stations, the Academic and Information Resource Center (AIRC), and a third parking garage.

In 2004, the school decided to re-brand itself and is now known as Sacramento State (Sac State for short); though students had been referring to the school by this name for years. The official name of the university remains California State University, Sacramento. The terms "CSUS," "Cal State Sacramento", "CSU, Sacramento", and "CS Sacramento" are no longer appropriate per the new Identity Style Guide. The University also adopted a new logo and seal. These replaced the previous design based on the Seal of California.

Sacramento State is in the midst of a huge fundraising effort for its "Destination 2010" campaign, part of its master plan to upgrade the campus to accommodate a growing Sacramento regional population. One of the major additions will be the Recreation and Wellness Center which will be run by the University Union. The Recreation and Wellness Center will be a multi-use facility with courts, weight and fitness rooms, climbing wall, indoor track and a new student health center. Students will be able to exercise, participate in group recreational activities, access healthcare services, study and socialize. Located at the north end of Hornet Stadium and near key campus destinations such as the Union, Library and Parking Structure III, the Center will be a a resource for alumni, faculty and staff. At 150,000 square feet (14,000 m2), it will offer a host of fitness, recreation, and athletic opportunities.

Destination 2010 is an initiative that aims to make Sacramento State a university of choice for prospective students and employees throughout the West. Sac State plans to become a premier metropolitan university and a destination campus. Nearly six decades after its founding, Sacramento State has evolved into a respected regional institution. It attempts to produce graduates who will be leaders in their fields and communities. One in 26 residents of the six-county Sacramento region is a Sacramento State graduate. The University directly and indirectly contributes more than $900 million to the region’s economy annually.

As the sixth largest campus of the 23 state universities in California, the campus is composed of 300 acres (1.2 km2) in the city of Sacramento. It lies adjacent to U.S. Route 50.

The campus is bordered by the American River to the East, Union Pacific Railroad tracks to the West, Folsom Boulevard to the South and H Street to the North. The North end of campus is dominated by the Goethe Arboretum and residence halls.

Sacramento State has 3,000 trees, with flower gardens, miles of trails stretching along the nearby river parkway, and student housing with recreational areas such as Lake Natoma and Old Sacramento, in addition to its on-campus housing. The best time to tour the campus are during the fall months or early spring, as the colors of the thousands of trees make a display.

Guy West Bridge, a pedestrian bridge built to scale of the Golden Gate Bridge, spans the nearby American River.

It also contains more than 30 research and community service centers such as the Center for California Studies, the Institute for Social Research, the Center for Collaborative Policy, the Center for Small Business,and the Office of Water Programs.

Sac State was once home to a large chicken population in the 1990s. Sac State now has a large population of wildlife. Recently reported by students were a large population of squirrels. There has also been reports of a small population of ducks and turkeys that roam the campus now and then.

At the northeastern edge of campus are the dormitories which can currently accommodate 1,100 students with an additional 606 beds currently under construction. Southwest of the campus is the Upper Eastside Lofts located near the light rail station at Folsom Boulevard and 65th Street and is owned by University Enterprises. The lofts can accommodate an additional 443 students and is a short walk from campus via Hornet Tunnel.

One of the top rowing facilities in the entire country. Located at Lake Natoma, 15 miles (24 km) east of the university, it hosts various regional and national meets including the annual Pacific Coast Rowing Championships. Classes are offered in boating and other water-sports for its students and community members. The aquatic center was also part of San Francisco's failed bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Provides services for public disputes at the state, regional, and local levels, ranging from conflicts between agencies to multi-party disputes on major policies. Its methods are mediation, negotiation, and consensus-building. It tries to reach solutions satisfying everyone while avoiding traditional adversarial processes.

Located three miles (5 km) west of Sac State and was designed by famous architect Julia Morgan. It was donated to the school in 1966 by Sacramento philanthropist and eugenicist Charles Goethe and was placed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The school remodeled the house in 2000 honored by the California Heritage Council. Sac State uses the home hosting lectures, small meetings, conferences, community events, and it is available for public special events such as receptions and weddings. The home's west wing houses the Life Center and provides health and fitness classes for seniors.

Sacramento State recently purchased 280 acres (1.1 km2) of land near Roseville, California for a satellite campus. The campus is hoped to break ground soon, and will likely have an emphasis on technology, business, and teacher education. President Alexander Gonzales said the campus may eventually grow in to a separate CSU university.

Sac State offers 60 undergraduate degrees and 40 graduate degrees. Its largest academic program is teacher education, followed by business, criminal justice, communication studies, psychology, and computer science.

The student-to-faculty ratio is about 21 to 1 with more than 70 percent of classes having under 30 students. About 80 percent of full-time faculty hold a doctorate.

Most transfer students come from two-year colleges, and about 750 international students from 80 nations.

The school has the largest cooperative education program in the entire state. Students from all majors are placed in paid positions while simultaneously receiving academic credit. Many students work in government-related internships and fellowships. Approximately 36 percent of students work as volunteers.

Its criminal justice program is the biggest on the western half of the US.

There is a joint-graduate degree program with the McGeorge School of Law, the law school division of the nearby University of the Pacific.

Sacramento State also works with the California State government to host the Capital Fellowship program through the Center for California Studies. The Center administers the Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship, Executive Fellowship, Judicial Administration Fellowship, and California Senate Fellows programs. These programs, known collectively as the Capital Fellows Programs, are nationally recognized. The 18 Assembly Fellows, 18 Senate Fellows, 18 Executive Fellows and 10 Judicial Administration Fellows receive an outstanding opportunity to engage in public service and prepare for future careers, while actively contributing to the development and implementation of public policy in California. The ranks of former fellows and associates include a Justice of the California Supreme Court, members of the United States Congress and the State Legislature, a deputy director of the Peace Corps, corporate executives, and local government and community leaders.

Sacramento State's colors are green and gold and its mascot is the Hornet. Sacramento State sports teams participate in NCAA Division I (I-AA for football) in the Big Sky Conference. In all sports, the university has a rivalry with the University of California, Davis (UC Davis). The football game is called the Causeway Classic and is played for the Causeway Carriage, referring to the fact that the schools are connected by the long Yolo Causeway bridge over Yolo Bypass floodway. More recently, the rivalry was officially expanded to include the Causeway Cup, which includes all sports the teams play in.

The school sponsors about 450 student-athletes. Male students compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, and indoor and outdoor track and field. Female students compete in basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, rowing, soccer, softball, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and field, and volleyball. Scholarships are offered in all sports. The football and track and field teams compete in Hornet Stadium while volleyball, men's and women's basketball and the gymnastics teams call Colberg Court home.

Most athletic teams compete in the Big Sky Conference. Sac State is the only school from California in the Big Sky Conference, but there are teams from Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington. Baseball and gymnastics are part of the Western Athletic Conference while men's soccer is part of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation and Softball is part of the Pacific Coast Softball Conference.

In 2003 and from 2005 to 2007, the university hosted the NCAA Track and Field Championships at Hornet Stadium.

The Sacramento State Marching Band is the official marching band of the university. It is also known as The Spirit of Sacramento. The subgroup of the band is The Sacramento State Hornet Revue. The band is under the direction of Dr. Clay Redfield.

Fight Hornet Fight was composed by Don McDonald in 1949.

Fight on, Sacramento State
Fight on to victory
The Hornet is on the wing,
The foe will know that we can show them
We’re meant for fame and glory,
All the World will know
The Hornet’s NEST is BEST in the WEST (Shout) BY TEST!
Sacramento State, (Shout) LET’S GO!!!

All Hail to Sacramento
Your colors green and gold;
We'll Hail our Alma Mater,
As on the years do roll;
She stood by us through trials,
A beacon to our way;
With hearts both proud and grateful
We sing of thee this day.
All Hail! All Hail! All Hail!
All Hail to Sacramento State
Our Alma Mater true.

Sacramento State owns and operates multiple public radio stations throughout California in close cooperation with Capital Public Radio. KXPR plays mostly classical music, KXJZ offers news and talk programming, along with music including jazz and blues, and both carry programming from National Public Radio.

Associated Students Inc. is the official student government body for Sacramento State, ostensibly through California Education Code §89300. Students elect the Board of Directors, which consists of the President, Executive Vice President, Vice President of Finance, Vice President of University Affairs, Vice President of Academic Affairs, a representative from each of the academic colleges, a representative for undeclared students, and a representative for graduate students.

KSSU 1580AM is a non-profit free format radio station at Sacramento State and part of Associated Students. The radio station has only a 3-watt signal and is not strong enough to broadcast much farther than the campus, but it can be heard all over the world at kssu.com. KSSU is maintained and funded by the Associated Students. KSSU.COM has formed itself into being one of the premier college radio stations in North America. In 2007 the station won Music Director of the year from the College Music Journal and then returned to New York for the award show in 2008 with 8 nominations for awards by CMJ. In 2008 KSSU.COM was also nominated for College Radio Station of the Year by MTVU.

The State Hornet serves as Sacramento State's student newspaper. The State Hornet publishes 14 or 15 issues each semester and produces content for a daily Web site. The online edition, www.statehornet.com, carries the content of the print edition, posted Wednesday mornings, and publishes unique content to the site as generated by the staff. The 1999-2000 staff of the newspaper, led by Editor-in-Chief David Sommers and Faculty Advisor Sylvia Fox, was awarded the National Newspaper Pacemaker Award, considered to be the highest national honor in collegiate journalism and unofficially known as the "Pulitzer Prizes of student journalism." The newspaper is formally administered by the Department of Communication Studies in the College of Arts and Letters.

Sac State has a wide selection of social and academic clubs and organizations. Each are dedicated to help students of similar interests bond together by common goals and aspirations. They make up a wide range of opportunities to be involved. They often represent national, international, local and regional organizations. Some also promote certain cultures or multiculturalism. Clubs and organizations are overseen by Student Activities.

Sacramento State provides its own buses known as Hornet Express shuttles, and works in conjunction with the Sacramento Regional Transit District for longer distances to and from campus. A Sacramento State student can use these resources for free with their student one card.

The Sacramento light rail system was originally proposed to run through the library quad. However then-president Donald Gerth vetoed the proposal over concerns for student safety.

Sacramento State is planning a bus-rapid transit system similar to the University of Oregon, which will go through campus, to light rail, and nearby apartment complexes.

Sacramento County, California

Sacramento County is a county in the U.S. state of California. The county seat is the city of Sacramento, the state capital. As of 2006 the population was 1,347,799.

The Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area consists of four counties with Sacramento being the largest. The County covers about 994 square miles (2,570 km2) in the middle of the Central Valley, California's prime agricultural region. Sacramento County extends from the low delta lands between the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers north to about ten miles (16 km) beyond the State Capitol and east to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The southernmost portion of Sacramento County has direct access to the San Francisco Bay.

Sacramento County was one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood.

The county was named after the Sacramento River, which forms its western border. The river was named by Spanish cavalry officer Gabriel Moraga for the Santisimo Sacramento (Most Holy Sacrament), referring to the Eucharist.

Alexander Hamilton Willard of the Lewis and Clark Expedition is buried in the old Franklin Cemetery.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 995 square miles (2,578 km²), of which, 966 square miles (2,501 km²) of it is land and 30 square miles (77 km²) of it (3.00%) is water. Most of the county is at an elevation close to sea level, with some areas below sea level. Hills along the eastern boundary rise to several hundred feet. Major watercourses in the county include the American River, Sacramento River and Dry Creek, a tributary of the Sacramento River.

Sacramento Regional Transit (RT) provides bus and light rail service in Sacramento and nearby communities. Sacramento hosts 37.4 miles (60.2km) of light rail. The cities of Elk Grove, Folsom and Galt also operate their own bus lines. In addition, the transit agencies of the adjacent counties have routes operating into downtown Sacramento, or connecting with the light rail system.

Sacramento International Airport is a major, full-service airport with passenger flights. It is owned by the County of Sacramento. The County also owns Sacramento Mather Airport in Rancho Cordova and Sacramento Executive Airport, both of which are general aviation airports. There are also privately owned public use airports located in Elk Grove and Rio Linda.

Sacramento County is a Democratic county in presidential elections, with the city of Sacramento going heavily for Democrats. This pattern is also present in congressional and state legislative elections. The last Republican presidential candidate to win a majority in the county was George H.W. Bush in 1988.

In the House of Representatives all of California's 5th congressional district and parts of the 3rd district and tiny parts of the 4th and 10th districts are in the county. The 3rd and 4th districts are represented by Republicans Dan Lungren and John Doolittle respectively while the 5th and 10th are represented by Democrats Doris Matsui and Ellen Tauscher respectively.

In the State Assembly, all of the 9th district and parts of the 4th, 5th, 10th, and 15th districts are in the county. Except for the 9th, which is represented by Democrat Dave Jones, all the districts are represented by Republicans: the 4th by Ted Gaines, the 5th by Roger Niello, the 10th by Alan Nakanishi, and the 15th by Guy Houston.

In the State Senate, all of the 6th district and parts of the 1st and 5th districts are in the county. The 1st district is represented by Republican Dave Cox and the 5th and 6th districts are represented by Democrats, Michael Machado and Darrell Steinberg respectively.

As of 2008, approximately 45% of registered voters were Democratic and 31% were registered Republicans, the remaining 23% declined to state their affiliation.

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,223,499 people, 453,602 households, and 297,562 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,267 people per square mile (489/km²). There were 474,814 housing units at an average density of 492/sq mi (190/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 61.02% White, 10.56% Black or African American, 1.09% Native American, 13.53% Asian, 0.59% Pacific Islander, 7.48% from other races, and 5.84% from two or more races. 19.31% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 10.2% were of German, 7.0% English, 6.7% Irish and 5.1% American ancestry according to Census 2000. 75.7% spoke English, 10.0% Spanish, 1.5% Hmong, 1.4% Chinese or Mandarin, 1.3% Vietnamese, 1.2% Tagalog and 1.2% Russian as their first language.

There were 453,602 households out of which 33.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.40% were married couples living together, 14.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.40% were non-families. 26.70% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the county the population was spread out with 27.60% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 31.00% from 25 to 44, 20.90% from 45 to 64, and 11.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 95.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.50 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $43,816, and the median income for a family was $50,717. Males had a median income of $39,482 versus $31,569 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,142. About 10.30% of families and 14.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.20% of those under age 18 and 6.60% of those age 65 or over.

The Sacramento Bee

The Sacramento Bee is a daily newspaper published in Sacramento, California, in the United States. Since its creation in 1857, the Bee has become Sacramento's largest newspaper, the fifth largest newspaper in California, and the 25th largest paper in the U.S. It is distributed in the upper Sacramento Valley, with a total circulation area that spans about 12,000 square miles (31,000 km2): south to Stockton, California, north to the Oregon border, east to Reno, Nevada and west to the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Bee is the flagship of the nationwide McClatchy Company. Its "Scoopy Bee" mascot, created by Walt Disney in 1943, has been used by all three Bee newspapers (Sacramento, Modesto, and Fresno).

Under the name The Daily Bee, the first issue of the newspaper was published on February 3, 1857, proudly boasting that "the object of is not only independence, but permanence." At this time, the Bee was in competition with The Sacramento Union, a newspaper founded in 1851. Although the Bee soon surpassed the Union in popularity, the Union survived until its closing in 1994, leaving the Sacramento Bee to be the longest running newspaper in Sacramento's history.

Although the first editor of The Sacramento Bee was Rollin Ridge, James McClatchy took over the position by the end of the first week.

Also within a week of its creation, the Bee uncovered a state scandal which led to the impeachment of Republican California State Treasurer Henry Bates.

On March 13, 2006, The McClatchy Company announced their agreement to purchase Knight Ridder, the United States' second largest chain of daily newspapers. The purchase price of $4.5 billion in cash and stock will give McClatchy thirty-two daily newspapers in 29 markets, with a total circulation of 3.3 million.

On February 3, 2007 the paper celebrated its 150th anniversary. In every newspaper they included a copy of the original paper. On February 4, 2007 they included a 120-page section about their history from their founding to today.

On July 29, 2008, the paper changed its format. However, the Bee and other McClatchy-owned papers continued to hemorrhage money, going into a tailspin of layoffs; by late August, it cut its workforce by over 55% for the second time.

The Sacramento Bee has won five Pulitzer Prizes in its history. It has won numerous other awards, including many for its progressive public service campaigns promoting free speech (the Bee often criticized government policy, and uncovered many scandals hurting Californians), anti-racism (the Bee supported the Union during the American Civil War and publicly denounced the Ku Klux Klan), worker's rights (the Bee has a strong history of supporting unionization), and environmental protection (leading numerous tree-planting campaigns and fighting against environmental destruction in the Sierra Nevada). A full list of recent major awards won by the Bee can be found here.

Sacramento Kings

The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings are members of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The franchise that would become the Sacramento Kings initially started in the city of Rochester, New York, as the Rochester Royals of the National Basketball League.

At the conclusion of World War II, the United States lacked a major professional basketball league. The National Basketball League decided to fill that void by stepping up from a regional semi-pro league into the nation's premier professional basketball loop. One of the top professional teams in the country was the Rochester Pros, an independent barnstorming team run by Lester Harrison. They were invited to join the NBL for the 1945–46 season. The team, which had long been known as the Seagrams before briefly adopting the nickname "Pros", held a name-the-team contest and selected the nickname "Royals".

Success for the Royals was almost immediate. Founded in 1945 by owner/coach/general manager Les Harrison (Hall of Famer) and his brother and co-owner/business manager Jack Harrison, the team won the NBL championship in 1945-46. The team was led by Bob Davies, Al Cervi, George Glamack, and Otto Graham, a future NFL Hall of Famer, who, in his only season in professional basketball, won a league championship before moving on to football and leading the Cleveland Browns to ten straight championship games, winning seven.

The following season, NBL Governors voted that the regular season "Pennant Winner" would be declared as the official NBL Champion, and the post-season would consist of a separate, non-championship tournament. The Royals finished 31–13 (.705), capturing their second NBL Championship in as many years, but lost in the post-season tournament finals to the Chicago American Gears.

The following season the NBL scrapped their one-year "pennant" experiment, and from that point forward the post-season playoffs would determine the NBL Champion. The Royals again finished with the league's best overall record at 44–16, but lost to George Mikan's Minneapolis Lakers 3 games to 1 in the NBL Finals.

In 1948, the Royals moved to the Basketball Association of America along with the Fort Wayne Pistons, Minneapolis Lakers, and Indianapolis (Kautskys) Jets. A year later, the BAA merged with the NBL to become the National Basketball Association.

The Royals won the NBA title in 1951 by defeating the New York Knickerbockers 4 games to 3. It is the only NBA championship in the franchise's history to date.

The Royals' twelve-year stay in Rochester featured the services of nine future members of the Basketball Hall of Fame, one member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and a Hollywood Walk of Famer: Al Cervi, Bob Davies, Alex Hannum, Les Harrison, Red Holzman, Arnie Risen, Maurice Stokes, Jack Twyman, Bobby Wanzer, Otto Graham, and Chuck Connors.

In 1957, the Royals were moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, by the Harrison brothers. Despite winning the NBA title in 1951, the Royals had drawn poorly and lost money for five straight years in Rochester and were under pressure to seek a larger market. Cincinnati, which had a strong college basketball fan base and no NFL franchise to compete with, was deemed the best choice. The fact that local college stars Jack Twyman, Dave Piontek and Tom Marshall were on the roster helped make fans quickly.

During the team's first NBA draft in Cincinnati, the team netted future Hall Of Famer Clyde Lovellette and former star guard George King. They teammed with the 1-2 punch of Maurice Stokes and Twyman to produce a budding contender in the team's very first season in the Queen City. Injury to Marshall and the loss of star guard Si Green to military service dropped the team into a tie for second place in the NBA Western Division during the 1957-58 season's second half.

In the season's finale, All-Pro star Maurice Stokes struck his head when he fell after pursuing a rebound. He shook off the effects of the fall, even as he had briefly been unconscious. After Game One in the playoffs three days later, Stokes head injury was greatly aggravated by airplane cabin pressure during the flight back to Cincinnati for Game Two. He suffered a seizure and was permanently hospitalized, a tragedy that greatly shook the team. Stokes, a tremendous talent who could play center, forward and guard, was 2nd in the NBA in rebounds and 3rd in assists, a double-feat only Wilt Chamberlain has matched for a full season. Without Stokes, the team nearly folded.

Fellow All-Star Twyman rose to All-Pro level the next two seasons for Cincinnati, even as the team posted two 19-win seasons. The 1958-59 Cincinnati team featured five rookies, with Lovellette, King and other key players having left the team in the wake of Stokes' tragic injury. The Harrisons, under pressure to sell to a local group, sold to a local ownership headed by Thomas Woods. The fact that Stokes was simply dumped by the team and the new ownership infuriated many.

Jack Twyman came to aid of his teammate and even legally adopted Stokes. Raising funds for Stokes' medical treatment, Twyman helped his fallen teammate until his death in April, 1970. The 1973 feature film Maurie, which co-starred actors Bernie Casey and Bo Svenson, later dramatized their story.

Shootng often for the beleaguered team, Twyman was the second NBA player ever to average 30 points per game for a full NBA season. Both Twyman and Stokes were later named Hall of Famers.

In 1960, the team was able to land local superstar Oscar Robertson. Robertson led a team that included Twyman, Wayne Embry, Bob Boozer, Bucky Bockhorn, Tom Hawkins and Adrian Smith over the next three seasons. The Royals reversed their fortunes with Robertson and rose to title contender. An ownership dispute in early 1963 scuttled the team's playoff chances when new owner Louis Jacobs booked a circus for Cincinnati Gardens for the week of the playoff series versus the champion Boston Celtics. Jacobs, an aloof owner, would prove no ally to the team's title hopes.

In late 1963, another local superstar, Jerry Lucas, joined the team. The Royals rose to second-best record in the NBA. From 1963-66, the Royals contended strongly against Boston and the Philadelphia 76ers, but fell short of their title hopes. The team's star players throughout the 1960s were Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas. Robertson met with individual success, averaging a triple-double in 1961-62 and winning the Most Valuable Player award in 1964. Robertson was a league-leading scorer and passer each season. Lucas was Rookie Of the Year in 1964, led the league in shooting, and later averaged 20 rebounds per game over three seasons. Both were All-NBA First Team selections multiple times.

The Royals were an also-ran throughout the era anyway. The team failed to keep promising players and played in the tough NBA East division, dominated by the Boston Celtics, even as a Baltimore team played in the West Division for three years, denying the team likely visits to the NBA Finals.

In 1966, the team was sold to a pair of brothers named Max and Jeremy Jacobs. That same season, the Royals began playing some of their home games in neutral sites such as Cleveland (until the Cavaliers began play in 1970), Dayton & Columbus, which was the norm for the rest of the Royals tenure in the Queen City.

New coach Bob Cousy, a loyal Boston Celtic, traded Lucas in 1969. Robertson was traded to Milwaukee in 1970, where he would immediately win an NBA title. The declining franchise left Cincinnati shortly thereafter, moving to Kansas City in 1972.

The Royals were renamed the Kings because Kansas City already had the Royals baseball team. The basketball team agreed to change its nickname, even though it had used the name for 25 years before the baseball team was established. The team initially divided its home games between Kansas City and Omaha until 1975, when it abandoned the Omaha market. During that time the team was officially called the "Kansas City-Omaha Kings". The team netted a new superstar in Nate Archibald, who led the league in scoring and assists.

While still in Cincinnati, the Kings introduced a most unusual uniform design, which placed the player's surname below his number. The design remained intact through the first several seasons of the team's run in Sacramento, even when the shade of blue on the road uniforms was changed from royal blue to powder blue, and the script "Kansas City" which adorned the road jerseys was scrubbed after the move in favor of a repeat of the "Kings" script on the home shirts.

The Kings had some decent players throughout. Tom Van Arsdale, the shooting forward, "Jumpin" Johnny Green, and Matt Guokas helped Archibald in the first year in Kansas City. Toby Kimball was a fan favorite. Jimmy Walker teamed with Archibald as the Kings made the playoffs the second year. Sam Lacey, an effective passing center, became one of the most dependable players in the league. Archibald became the first player to lead the league in scoring and assists in the first season in Kansas City. However, the management traded Archibald, and wasted high draft picks. Bob Cousy gave way to Phil Johnson, who was fired midyear in 1977 and replaced by Larry Staverman, a player on the team on two separate occasions when it was in Cincinnati and who later became the Cleveland Indians groundskeeper.

The Kings finally achieved some success in their new home when they hired Cotton Fitzsimmons as coach. Coach Fitzsimmons won the Midwest Division in 1978-79 with rookie point guard Phil Ford. Kansas City was led by shooting guard Otis Birdsong, strong on both offense and defense, all around shooting forward Scott Wedman, and passing center Sam Lacey, who had a trademark 25 foot bank shot. They also drew an average of 10,789 fans to Kemper Arena that season, the only time during their tenure in KC that average attendance was in five figures. The Kings made the playoffs in 1979-80 and again in 1980–81, despite finishing the regular season at 40–42. The Kings made a surprise run in the NBA Playoffs, reaching the Western Conference Finals. Big Ernie Grunfeld played the point in this run, as KC used a slow half court game to win the first two rounds. Power forward Reggie King had a remarkable series, dominating the opposition.

However, a series of bad luck incidents prevented the team from building on its success. Ted Stepien, owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers lured Wedman and Birdsong away with big contract offers, the roof literally fell in at Kemper Arena because of a winter storm, forcing the team to play most of the 1979-80 season at Municipal Auditorium, and the ownership group sold the team to Sacramento interests for just eleven million dollars. The general manager was fired in a bizarre scandal in which he was found to be reusing marked postage stamps. When the Kings rehired Joe Axelson as general manager, they brought back the man who had previously traded superstars Oscar Robertson, Norm Van Lier, Nate Archibald and Jerry Lucas, and used the third pick in the ABA dispersal draft on Ron Boone. Axelson would stay on after the Kings left Kansas City where, in their last game ever, fans wore Joe Axelson masks. Axelson later would say he hoped his plane would never touch down in Kansas City.

Axelson later would be the first general manager in the history of sports to fail with the same franchise in four different cities: Cincinnati, Kansas City, Omaha and Sacramento. He would not be fired for good until he rehired as coach Phil Johnson, whom he had fired in midseason in Kansas City ten years before. The Kings also had the misfortune of entering this period competing with the Kansas City Comets for the winter sports dollar, when the Comets were led by marketers - the Leiweke brothers. Their final season, 1984-85, resulted in a dismal 31–51 record as fans stayed away from Kemper Arena in droves, with average attendance of just 6,410. The writing was on the wall for Kansas City.

The Kings moved west to their current home of Sacramento, California, in 1985. Much of their early tenure in Sacramento was spent in the NBA's cellar, and the team made the playoffs only once between 1985 and 1995. Some of their failure was attributable to unimaginable misfortune, such as the career-altering car crash suffered by promising point guard Bobby Hurley and the tragic suicide of Ricky Berry; some was attributable to poor management such as the over-long tenure of head coach Garry St. Jean and the ill-fated selection of "Never Nervous" Pervis Ellison with the first overall pick in the 1989 NBA Draft.

The early 1990s were not kind to the Kings. Sacramento was known for having strong fan support, which helped them win over 60% of its home games. But it never had a good team and always struggled on the road, going 1–40 on the road in one single season alone, and its owner James Alford Thomas rarely paid for top talent. The Kings squeaked into the playoffs in 1996 largely due to the effort of star player Mitch Richmond, but they did not distinguish themselves in the postseason. Eventually the team was sold to the Maloof Family, who finally changed the direction of the team.

The Kings emerged from years of mediocrity with the draft selection of Jason Williams, the signing of Vlade Divac, and the trade of Mitch Richmond for Chris Webber prior to the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season. These acquisitions coincided with the arrival of Peja Stojakovic, who had been drafted in 1996. Each of these moves was attributed to general manager Geoff Petrie, who has won NBA Executive of the Year several times.

Following these acquisitions, the Kings rose in the NBA ranks, becoming a perennial playoff contender. Led by new head coach Rick Adelman, and aided by former Princeton head coach and Kings assistant Pete Carril, their so-called "Princeton offense" turned heads around the league for its run-and-gun style and superb ball movement. Some criticized the Kings for their poor team defense, Williams's "flash over substance" style of play with its many turnovers, and Webber's failure to step up his game in important matchups. Still, they quickly became NBA darlings, garnering many fans outside of California, and even around the world, many of which were enthralled by Williams's amazing passing abilities and Webber's sharp all-around game. Despite their tremendous successes, they were still a young team, and were ultimately defeated by more experienced teams in the playoffs, losing to the Utah Jazz in 1999 (in a thrilling five-game matchup), and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000.

Following the 2000 season, the Kings traded starting small forward Corliss Williamson to the Toronto Raptors for defensive shooting guard Doug Christie, opening a starting spot for sharpshooter Stojakovic. Stojakovic and his dead-eye long range shot served as the perfect complement to Webber's smooth inside game, taking the Kings' already-potent offense to new heights. With their continued success on court came their continued rise in popularity, culminating in their gracing the cover of Sports Illustrated in February 2001, with the title "The Greatest Show On Court". In 2001, they won their first playoff series in the Webber era (and their first in twenty years), defeating the Phoenix Suns 3–1, before being swept in four games by the Lakers, who went on to win the NBA championship.

In July 2001, Petrie traded starting point guard Jason Williams to the Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies for point guard Mike Bibby. The trade solved needs on both sides: the Grizzlies, in the process of moving to Memphis, wanted an exciting, popular player to sell tickets in their new home, while the Kings, an up-and-coming team, sought more stability and control at the point guard position. Although questioned by some Kings fans at the time, NBA officials and experts proclaimed Bibby as the better player in the deal, as well as a better leader, having led the Arizona Wildcats to an NCAA championship in 1997. This move was complemented by the crucial re-signing of Webber to a maximum-salary contract, securing the star power forward for years to come.

With the addition of Bibby, the Kings had their best season to date in 2001-02. The team finished with a league-best record of 61-21, going 36-5 at ARCO Arena, and stormed through the first two rounds of the playoffs. The Kings then faced the L.A. Lakers, the two-time defending champions in the western conference finals. In what has been widely acclaimed as one of the greatest playoff series of all time, the Kings were able to jump out to a 2-1 lead. Just when it appeared the Kings would be heading back to Sacramento with a 3-1 series lead, Lakers forward Robert Horry burried a game-winning three-pointer (to win the game 100-99)on a play where Vlade Divac batted the ball to get it out from under the rim. Needless to say, the play backfired. However Game 5 saw Mike Bibby return the favor with a game-winning shot of his own with 3.7 seconds left, the Kings won 92-91. In a highly contested game 6 at the STAPLES Center, the Lakers bested the Kings by four points in a seemingly one-sided game. A statistic of note in this game was that the the Lakers shot 27 fourth quarter free throws compared to the Kings 9.

The seventh and final game is considered by many to be one of the NBA's all-time best game 7s. No team gained a double-digit lead in the game. But it was particularly poor free throw shooting that would doom the Kings; missing 14 of their 30 free throw attempts (53.3% shooting). This Kings team wouldn't get a better chance to get to the NBA Finals.

After winning another division championship by going 59-23 in 2002–03, the Kings lost Webber to a knee injury in the playoffs, ultimately losing to the Dallas Mavericks in a seven game series. Webber's knee required major surgery. Although he would return mid-season in 2003–04, he had lost much of his explosiveness and athleticism. The Kings would end the season with a playoff defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves in seven games.

The 2004–05 season marked another season of dramatic change for the Kings, who lost three of their starters from the 2002 team. In the offseason of 2004, Divac opted to sign with the rival Lakers, giving Brad Miller a starting spot at center. Early in the season, Christie was traded to the Orlando Magic for shooting guard Cuttino Mobley. But the most dramatic change came in February, when Webber was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for three relatively unheralded forwards: Corliss Williamson, Kenny Thomas, and Brian Skinner. The Kings ultimately lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Seattle SuperSonics. The 2005 offseason continued the team transformation, with the Kings trading fan favorite Bobby Jackson for Bonzi Wells and acquiring free agent forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

The 2005-06 season started off poorly, as the Kings had a hard time finding chemistry in the team. Newcomers Bonzi Wells and Shareef Abdur-Rahim made major contributions early in the season, but both fell victim to the injury bug and missed a significant number of games. As the Kings' dismal season continued, the Maloofs decided to make a major move.

Popular sharpshooting small forward Peja Stojakovic was traded for Ron Artest, long known for his volatile temper. With this trade, the Kings begin the Artest era until its ultimate end. With Artest in the lineup, the Kings had a 20-9 record after the 2006 NBA All-Star Weekend, which was the second best post-All-Star break record that season. The Kings finished the regular season with a 44-38 record, which placed them 4th in the Pacific Division. The Kings obtained the 8th seed of the Western Conference playoffs, and were matched up in the first round against the San Antonio Spurs in a seven-game series. The Spurs beat the Kings in the first round 4-2.

The 2006 offseason was started with the announcement that head coach Rick Adelman's contract would not be renewed. The Kings named Eric Musselman as Adelman's replacement as head coach.

In 2006-2007, the disappointing play of the Kings had been coupled with the distraction of legal troubles. Coach Eric Musselman pleaded no contest to DUI charges early in the season, while star Ron Artest got in to trouble for neglect of his dogs, and was later arrested for domestic assault. The Kings dismissed Artest of basketball duties, pending more investigation in to the matter, and was later reinstated. The Kings finished the 2006–07 NBA season with an overall record of 33-49 (their worst in 9 years) in which they were 20-21 at ARCO Arena for the first time since 93-94 and 13-28 on the road; fifth place in the Pacific Division. This season record included a seven game losing-streak that started on January 4 and ended on January 19. Consequently, the Sacramento Kings went on to miss the 2007 NBA Playoffs, the first time in eight seasons. Coach Eric Musselman was fired on April 20, 2007. The Kings' future appears to rest on the shoulders of breakout star Kevin Martin, who was a leading candidate for 2007 NBA Most-Improved Player of the Year. The 2007 off season was a time of change for the Kings. Kings coach Eric Musselman was replaced by former Kings player, Reggie Theus for head coach. Fans and sports analysts were puzzled by the hire, especially with Larry Brown expressing great interest in coaching the team. On [June 28, 2007, the Kings selected center Spencer Hawes as the 10th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft.

In addition to these changes, the Sacramento Kings acquired center-forward Mikki Moore from the New Jersey Nets. Kevin Martin signed a contract worth $55 million, extending his period with the team for five more years.

However, the Kings also lost some key players over the offseason, with backup point guard Ronnie Price leaving for the Utah Jazz, and Corliss Williamson retiring.

The team claimed fourth-year point guard Beno Udrih off waivers from Minnesota. Udrih quickly assumed the starting point guard job, as Bibby was injured.

It was announced on February 16, 2008 that the Kings had traded longtime point guard Bibby to the Atlanta Hawks for Tyronn Lue, Anthony Johnson, Shelden Williams, Lorenzen Wright and a 2nd round draft pick. The move was done mostly to clear cap space for the future. Bibby was the last remaining original player that got the Kings to the Western Conference Finals back in 2002.

The Kings improved by 5 games and finished the 07-08 season with a 38-44 missing the playoffs by a much bigger margin (12 games) than the previous season (8 games). They went 26-15 at home and 12-29 on the road. After selling out every home game since 1999 the Kings only sold out the three home games (against the Celtics and Lakers) during the 07-08 season averaging 13,500 fans per home game, almost 4,000 below capacity. Many home games struggled to put 15,000 in with empty seats common.

Following a quiet 2008 offseason, it was confirmed on July 29, 2008 that the Kings would trade forward Ron Artest and the rights to Patrick Ewing Jr and Sean Singletary to the Houston Rockets in exchange for former King Bobby Jackson, Donté Greene, a future first round draft pick, and cash considerations .

With new pressures on the Kings to rebuild and return to their glory days, General Manager Geoff Petrie is assembling a new younger more talented squad to hopefully carry the team. With the youthful faces of Kevin Martin, who averages over 20 points and is known for his consistent shooting, and the likes of Francisco Garcia, Bobby Brown, and Beno Udrih, the Kings are optimistic for their future.

A main concern at the moment is their coaching position with the firing of Reggie Theus earlier in the 2008-09 season. With Interim Head Coach Kenny Natt, the Kings have continued to struggle, which leaves the franchise with many questions on the coaching role for next season.

Along with many of the NBA teams, the 2010 free agent market will be of great importance and interest with many big names on the list like Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Paul Pierce. The Kings will definitely need another key player to lead them back into the playoffs and possible championship title.

In light of declining attendance at ARCO Arena, and also in light of the increasing obsolescence of the building compared to newer NBA venues, there was a campaign to build a new $600 million facility in downtown Sacramento, which was to be funded by a quarter cent sales tax increase over 15 years. In 2006, voters overwhelmingly rejected ballot measures Q and R, leading to the NBA publicly calling for a new arena to be built at another well-known Sacramento facility, Cal Expo, the site of California's state fair. Negotiations between the Cal Expo governing board and the NBA (serving on behalf of the Maloof family) are ongoing; the Cal Expo board is looking for improvements to the entire facility (including $40 million in deferred maintenance) as well as a new arena. The NBA promises that no public money will be used for the project; the Cal Expo board has long sought state legislation that would allow Cal Expo to form a joint-powers authority to issue bonds and lease land to developers, it is thought that negotiations for an NBA arena will more quickly bring this to fruition.

Archibald and Robertson were named two of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1996.